Piano player



Sept. 27, 1960 L. B. SKINNER ETAL 2,953,957

PIANO PLAYER s Sheets-Shee t 1 Filed Dec.

INVENTOR. 55 B. K/ NEH, ILL/HM MLIHMS EJTF/ELD I Sept. 27, 1960 SKINNERETAL 2,953,957

PIANO PLAYER Filed Dec. 12, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS LEE 5.SKINNER flTToRNE r5 Sept. 27, 1960 L. B. SKINNER E'AL PIANO PLAYER 3Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 12, 1955 "L. "J. u JL IN VEN TOR. LEE 8.SKINNEB WILLIAM H- WILL/ANS y JOHN A, WESTF/ELD V r1 W HTTOIZNEYJ UnitedStates Patent PIANO PLAYER Lee B. Skinner, 166 Newton St., Seattle,Wash.; William H. Williams, Seattle, Wash. (Rt. '3, Box 42, AlderwoodManor, Wash.); and John A. Westfield, 4010 E. Madison, Seattle, Wash.

Filed Dec. 12, 1955, Ser. No. 552,548

1 Claim. (Cl. 84-105) This invention relates to improvements in musicalinstruments of those kinds known as piano players as distinguished fromplayer pianos, and which are of unitary construction, easily portableand adapted to be removably applied to the keyboard portion of a piano.

To properly distinguish the present instrument from the player pianotypes of instruments, it will here be explained that although eachemploys perforated record strips for the playing of musical selections,the player piano may be described as a piano which has mechanismpermanently built into it for the playing of selections whereas themechanical piano player is an instrument that is made as an independentinstrument designed to be set on or applied to the keyboard portion ofany piano for the playing of musical selections.

Heretofore, instruments of the piano player category have been used, andto considerable extent, prior to the advent of radio, but did not proveto be entirely satisfactory for various reasons, mainly because of theirexcessive weight; cumbersomeness; objections to or difficulties of theirapplication to a piano; their relatively high cost and for various otherreasons including, in some instances, the marring of the keys of thepianos to which such instruments were applied.

In view of the foregoing explanatory matter, and for other reasonsrelated to the age in which we now live, it has been the primary objectof this invention to provide a piano player which is a complete unitarystructure; that is easily hand portable; that can be easily and readilyapplied to any piano having a standard keyboard and can be easily andsatisfactorily secured functionally thereon; which is readily detachablefrom the piano; is exceptionally light in weight, and is relativelyinexpensive.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an instrumentof the above stated character having an improved form of mechanism forthe striking of each of the individual keys of the piano, and whereineach of these mechanisms is characterized by a novel lever mechanism forthe striking of the key that is more positive in its action than theheretofore used plunger types of key strikers, and which, by its use,eliminates or avoids any undesirable wear on or marring of the piano keywhich it engages.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an instrumentof the above stated kind wherein the tempo of playing may be varied atwill by the use of a variable speed driving motor for the rolls on whichthe record strip is wound.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a hand portable unitthat when placed in functional position, will be supported over thekeyboard and within the forward end limits of the shoulder blocks of thepiano.

Further objects and advantages of the invention reside in the details ofconstruction and combination of parts embodied therein and in their modeof operation, as will hereinafter be fully described.

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In accomplishing the above mentioned and other objects of the invention,we have provided the improved details of construction, the preferredforms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a plan, or top view, of the piano player embodied by thepresent invention as functionally applied to the keyboard portion of apiano.

Fig. 2 is a front view of the present instrument as applied to the pianokeyboard; a part of the front wall of the housing of the instrumentbeing broken away for explanatory purposes.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the tracker bar and recordstrip mounting rolls, as seen on line 33 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view through the presentinstrument and keyboard portion of the piano, taken substantially on theline 4-4 in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical, longitudinal section taken through one of thebellows or pneumatics, showing the valve mechanism as contained thereinfor controlling the bellows action.

Fig. 6 is a front view of a part of thepiano keyboard and the overlyingportion of the present piano player, with the front of its housingbroken away to show the staggered arrangement of the pneumatic bellows;also showing the rod connections with the bellows and key strikinglevers.

Fig. 7 is a plan View of the record strip roller driving means.

Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view of an alternative arrangement oftracker bar and record winding rolls.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

In Figs. 1 and 2, we have illustrated the present piano playinginstrument as functionally applied to and secured in functional orplaying position on a piano having a standard keyboard, that is, akeyboard having the usual eighty-eight keys. The piano player of thisinvention is designated in its entirety in these views by referencenumeral 10; the keyboard of the piano as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 isdesignated, generally, by reference numeral 11; the forwardly directedshoulders of the piano frame structure, at opposite ends of thekeyboard, are designated, respectively, by numerals '12 and 12', and thehorizontal cheek blocks fixed to the frame structure at the inside ofsaid shoulders and to which the opposite end portions of the housing ofthe piano player 10 are supported and clamped, are designatedrespectively, by numerals 13 and 13.

The piano keyboard, as indicated at the left hand end in Fig. 2,comprises the usual arrangement of white keys and black keys. In Fig. 4of the drawing, the forward end portion of a black key is designated bynumeral 14 and the forward end portion of a white key is designated bynumeral 15. It is to be understood that all keys of the piano aremounted in the usual manner and that, when downwardly struck forplaying, each will actuate certain devices, not herein shown, to causethe production of a musical tone of the chromatic scale. When the pianokeys, whether black or white, are disengaged after being struck by thestriking elements corresponding there to as used in this instrument,they immediately return to normal horizontal position, for example, topositions corresponding to those in which the two keys in Fig. 4 areshown.

Since the various mechanisms of the piano itself form no part of thepresent invention, they will not be further described in thisspecification except as may be found necessary to impart a properunderstanding of the piano player mechanism as used in connectiontherewith.

The mechanism of the present piano player unit 10 is enclosed by ahousing 16 of elongated box-like form, as shown in plan view in Fig. 1;as seen in front view of Fig.

2 and in enlarged cross-section in Fig. 4. Its overall length isslightly less than the distance between the shoulders 12-12' oftherframe at opposite ends of the piano keyboard, so that it can bereadily received between them for support at its ends upon or itssecurement to the cheek blocks 1313, as seen in Fig. 2. The housing 16is substantially square in cross-section and, as noted in the variousviews, and comprises a vertical front wall 16 opposite end walls 16e-16eand a horizontal top wall 16L Preferably, but not necessarily, thishousing is fabricated from aluminum plates which give it a desireddegree of strength without excessive weight; all plates being suitablyjoined for insuring the desired rigidity, strength and durability of thehousing.

After the instrument has been properly positioned over the keyboard ofthe piano, it is secured at opposite ends by means of clamp devices ofsuitable kind to the cheek blocks of the piano frame. In Figs. 1 and 2,clamps for this purpose are designated by reference numeral 17, and itis also a function of these clamps to provide for limited verticaladjustment of the housing relative to the blocks to best accommodate theinstrument to the level of the keyboard, regardless of the thickness ofthe cheek blocks.

The present instrument is designed to use the usual form of perforatedrecord strip which, in use, is advanced between strip winding rolls, 1Sand 19 across the usual form of tracker bar; these parts being mountedin a housing 20 that is fixedly mounted upon the housing 16 midway ofits ends. The record strip winding rollers 18 and 19 are of the usualtype used for this purpose and are mounted horizontally andlongitudinally of the housing 20, and in parallel relationship along thefront and back sides respectively, of the tracker bar 25.

The record, which is herein designated by numeral 26, is advanced forplaying from the rear roll 19 to the forward roll 18, and as advanced,is drawn flatly against and across the transversely curved top surfaceof the tracker bar 25, as noted in Fig. 4. The winding of the recordstrip 26 from one roll to the other for playing and also for rewinding,is effected by selectively driving the rolls 18 and 19, and this iseffected by use of a mechanism which will now be described.

In Fig. 7, 3t designates a small variable speed electric motor that isfixedly mounted on a base plate 31 that is pivotally mounted on the topwall of housing 16 on a vertical pivot axis 31 for limited oscillation.The motor is located adjacent the left hand end of the housing 20 withthe motor shaft 32 extended toward the housing 20; this shaft beingequipped with two friction wheels, 33 and 34, as shown. The rolls 18 and19 are mounted and driven by their respective supporting hubs 35 and 36which are rotatably applied to the end wall of the housing 20 and areextended therefrom to that side adjacent which the motor 30 is located.These hubs are equipped, respectively, with friction drive wheels 37 and38 for their rotation. An idler friction wheel 39 is rotatably mountedon the sidewall of housing 20 in constant driving contact with Wheel 37.The wheels 38 and 39 are mounted at the axial level of motor shaft 32.Thus, by effecting an oscillating movement of the motor and its shaft toone limit, the friction wheel 33 on the motor shaft can be frictionallyengaged with Wheel 38 to drive the rear roll 19 to wind the record stripthereto, and by rotatable adjustment of the motor to its opposite limit,the friction wheel 34 can be caused to engage and drive the idler roller39 and roller 37 for winding the strip onto the forward roller 18 as forplaying a selection.

The operating positions of the motor 30 are controlled and establishedby a hand lever 40 as seen in Fig. 7. This is fixed to a pivoted shaft41, which has a lever arm 42 thereon connected by a link 43 with a lever44 extended rearwardly from the motor base. A yieldable means 4-4 ismounted on the housing 17 to engage the lever 40 to .45. frictionallyhold it and the motor in a neutral position or for driving either roll.

The tracker bar 25 as seen in Fig. 3 is of the usual form ofconstruction, being formed substantially to its full length with asuccession of passages 45, in alignment and each opening to the topsurface and bottom thereof. These air passages, in their successivearrangement along the tracker bar, correspond to the individual keys asarranged successively along the keyboard, and each passage is connectedat its lower end by an air tube 46 of small diameter with a smallpneumatically operated bellows 4-8 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5; therebeing a bellows 48 corresponding to each of the piano keys and eachbellows has fixed mounting in the housing 16 above the key corresponding thereto.

It is to be observed best in Fig. 5, that each bellow 48 comprises astationary top wall 50 and a hinged lower wall member 51 adapted to beactuated at its forward end toward and away from the top wall member, aspresently explained. At its forward, swinging edge, each wall member 51is equipped with a bracket 52 to which the upper end of a vertical wirerod 53 is operatively connected. At its lower end, this rod isoperatively connected to the forward end of a horizontally disposedlever 56 which has its inner end portion extended rearwardly along andclosely overlying the top surface of the striking portion of the pianokey that corresponds to that particular bellows, as shown in Figs. 4 and6.

Each of the levers 56, as thus arranged in succession along the keyboardfor the actuation of the piano keys is pivotally supported between itsends by a pivot pin 57 that extends between the spaced, downwardlydirected ears 58 of a bracket 53 that is rigidly fixed to and extendedforwardly from a means of support, which in this instance, as best shownin Pig. 4, is the bottom wall of a vacuum chamber enclosing housing 61,later to be described. I

It is further to be noted by reference to Figs. 4 and 5 that thepneumatic bellows 48 are operatively fixed to the front wall of thevacuum chamber housing 61 to extend forwardly therefrom in threehorizontal rows, and in Figs. 2 and 6 it is shown that the bellows ofthe three rows are in staggered relationship in order to accommodatethem and their lever operating connections to the relatively closerelationship of the keys of the piano and key striking levers. Allbellows are of the same size and of the same construction, and all aresupported with their opening and closing ends directed forwardly toequal extent as well shown in Pi g. 4.

In the present mode of operation, all bellows 48 normally are inexpanded or open conditions, as seen in Fig. 5. The striking of anypiano key by its bellows actuated lever mechanism is effected upon theapplication of vacuum to the expanded bellows. To accomplish the instantcollapsing of the bellows, a valve structure is embodied in the top wallmember of each, and the opening and closing of each of these valves iscontrolled through the functioning of the record strip 26 being used,and as it moves across the tracker bar 25 to close off or admit air intothe tracker bar passages.

In Fig. 4, 60 designates the previously referred to vacuum chamber; thisbeing enclosed within the elongated, air tight tank 61 that is fixedlymounted within and extended along the back side of the housing 16, fromend to end thereof. A partial vacuum is constantly maintained in thechamber 60 by suitable means. In the present instance, I employ aconventional motor driven vacuum pump designated in its entirety inFigs. 1 and 2 by numeral 65. The pump is connected with the vacuumchamber 60 through a conventional vacuum regulator 66 which operatesautomatically to maintain the desired degree of vacuum in the chamber61.

Referring now to the valve mechanism as shown in the bellows 48 of Fig.5, which is common to all bellows, it is to be noted that the top wallmember of the bellows is rigidly fixed to housing 61. 'It is formed witha chamber 68 that is divided between upper and lower ends by a flexiblediaphragm 69. Immediately below the diaphragm, an air passage 70 leadsfrom the chamber 68 rearwardly, and to this passage an air tube 46, thatleads from the lower end of the corresponding air passage 45 of thetracker bar 25, is connected. Immediately above the diaphragm, thechamber 68 has a horizontal passage 73 opening directly therefrom intothe vacuum chamber 60. At its upper end, the valve chamber 68 opens intoa valve chamber 75 which is provided with vertically spaced, opposedlyrelated valve seats 76 and 77. The chamber 75 has a relatively large topport 78 opening to atmosphere, and an air channel 80 that leads frombetween the valve seats, through the top wall member of the bellows,into the bellows chamber. A valve disk 82 is freely contained in thechamber 75 and this has a stem 83 connecting it with the diaphragm 69 insuch way that the vertical movements of the valve disk from and againstthe seats 76 and 77 is governed by and is in accordance with upward anddownward flexing of the diaphragm under influence of pressures asapplied against its opposite surfaces.

It is to be observed also, by reference to Figs. 4 and 5, that the airtubes 46 pass through the vacuum chamber 60, and each is formed with asmall port 84 that provides for an equalizing of vacuum at oppositesides of the diaphragm.

It is further to be understood that each bellows may be urged toward itsopen or expanded condition at all times by any suitable means such as aspring, weight or otherwise.

Assuming that the record strip 26, as being drawn across the trackerbar, covers and closes the bar passage 45 for any bellows, the conditionof vacuum in the wall chamber 68 of that bellows will cause the valvedisk 82 to be drawn downwardly and closed against the valve chamber seat76. Thus, the atmospheric air connections to the bellows through its topopening 78 and passage 80 will be open, and the bellows will be fullyopened, as shown. As the record strip advances, and a perforationtherein moves into registration with the air passage 45 of the trackerbar, atmospheric connection is thus made through the tube 46 and passage70 to the underside of the diaphragm 69 thus permitting vacuum asapplied in chamber 75 through passage 73, to flex the diaphragm upwardlyand lift the valve disk 82, to a position closed tightly against itsupper seat 77, thus opening a direct vacuum connection from chamber 68through chamber 75, and passage 80 to the corresponding bellows, causingits instant collapse. With the upward collapsing movement of the bottomwall member of the bellows, its rod connection 52 rocks thecorresponding lever 56, causing the rear end portion of the lever tostrike the piano key with which it is associated and cause the key tofunction.

With the, passing of the perforation of the record strip fromregistration with the tracker bar passage 45, the passage is againclosed against intaking of atmospheric air, and vacuum, as appliedthrough the passage 73, and port 84 and passage 70 to opposite sides ofthe diaphragm becomes substantially equalized and the valve 82 is drawndownward to a position closed against the seat 76 and held by the vacuumin chamber 68. Atmospheric air is then admitted to the bellows throughpassage 80 causing it to expand and the normal position of the leveragemechanism to be restored.

The above described bellows action takes place with the bellows thusproduced, that the selections are played on the piano.

To briefly summarize the advantages of the present device, would be tonote that the instrument is relatively simple in its construction andmode of operation; it can be easily and readily applied to any pianowith standard keyboard, it is light in weight; it is electricallyoperated, and when detached from the piano, is easily portable.

It is further an advantage that when the present player is applied to apiano in the intended manner, it is contained substantially in itsentirety within the limits of the keyboard portion of the piano.

In order that the terminology used in the following claim may be inaccordance with that generally used by persons familiar with the art towhich the present device pertains, the noun pneumatic will be used todesignate a bellows and its associated valve mechanism.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new therein anddesire to secure by Leters Patent is:

A portable piano player adapted to be removably mounted upon aconventional piano and selectively strike the keys thereof, said pianoplayer comprising a housing having a front wall, back wall, top wall andopposite end walls, an intermediate wall extending between said endwalls and spaced from said back wall to define with said back wall asingle vacuum chamber, said vacuum chamber extending substantially thefull height and length of said housing, a motor operated vacuum creatingmeans positioned on said top wall and interconnected with said chamberfor creating and maintaining an operating vacuum in the chamber, akey-striking lever adapted to extend along and above each of the keys ofan associated piano, each lever being supported from the lower wallportion of said vacuum chamber and pivotally mounted for verticaloscillation, a pneumatic corresponding to each key striking levermounted in the housing between the front wall and vacuum chamber andabove the striking levers, individual connecting means interconnectingthe free end of each pneumatic to its respective striking lever; atracker bar, record winding rolls and means for driving said rolls allmounted on the top wall above the pneumatics and vacuum chamber, a valveintegral with each pneumatic, means defining two passages for each valveleading from the valve to the vacuum chamber, an air tube correspondingto each valve connected to and extending from the tracker bar andinterconnected with the respective valve through one of said passages,all of said air tubes passing through the vacuum chamber and each airtube having a port formed through the wall thereof in a portion of thetube within the vacuum chamber, whereby a vacuum is created andmaintained in the air tube incident to the sealing of the end of thetube secured to the tracker bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS634,872 Brown Oct. 17, 1899 640,922 Kuster June 9, 1900 653,263 SalyerJuly 10, 1900 725,676 Cooper Apr. 21, 1903 745,944 Wieser Dec. 1, 1903931,192 French et al Aug. 17, 1909 2,302,011 Dragelin Nov. 17, 19422,488,170 Calamari et a1. Nov. '15, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS 18,122Australia July 31, 1929 462,175 Great Britain Mar. 1, 1937

